India, Aug. 31 -- Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday took a strong stand against an allegedly provocative statement made during a Barawafat procession in Rudrapur, after which police registered a case and arrested the accused Maulana.

According to the state government, Maulana Mujeeb, a resident of Rampur, allegedly addressed a large religious gathering during Wednesday's Barawafat procession and accused the Uttarakhand government of shutting down madrasas. His remarks subsequently went viral on social media.

Reacting to the alleged statement, Dhami said Uttarakhand was not Pakistan and that its identity had been, and would continue to be, that of Devbhoomi, or the Land of the Gods. He said the era of threats and a...